Zachary Quinto: LGBT supporters have ‘only one choice; in the US election
Gay actor and supporter of LGBT rights, Zachary Quinto, has said that, in the upcoming US Presidential Election, LGBT rights supporters have “only one choice” when it comes to picking a candidate.
Speaking in an interview with the Guardian, the actor of the hit US TV series, Heroes, said that “I was really proud to be a part of that”, speaking of a video posted online last week in which he praised President Obama for his continued support of the LGBT community.
“I think any American that is LGBT, or loves someone who is LGBT, or supports someone who is LGBT, has only one choice in this election, because the differences between these two candidates on that issue alone are so diametrically opposed,” he said.
“Mitt Romney actively seeks to roll back progress that we have all made and fought so hard to make, and to me that’s just not acceptable.”
Glee actress Jane Lynch, comedian Wanda Sykes, writer Chaz Bono and fellow Star Trek actor George Takei were all featured in the video.
In it, the stars praise the president’s decision to support equal marriage and his administration’s repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, the law which banned gay people from being open about their sexuality in the US military.
“Having the president of the United States declare his belief that gay couples should be allowed to marry and to use the word marry … it was incredibly inspiring to watch that all unfold,” said Mr Quinto, speaking about the video.
In response to a Huffington Post article in which Republican presidential candidate, Mitt Romney, was quoted to have said, back in 2005: “Some gays are actually having children born to them. It’s not right on paper. It’s not right in fact,” Mr Quinto tweeted:
“These statements reflect the qualities of a bigot. not a president. @mittromney you are a blight on human decency.”
On coming out, he said: “I had been thinking about it all the time for a while, just sort of peripherally.”
“I knew it was something I wanted to do and I knew I needed to make sure that the moment was right for me. So it was my voice, the way it happened was authentic.”
Before making his decision to come out, Mr Quinto had been actively working with the Trevor Project, the It Gets Better initiative, and other pro-equality charities, but he said he felt that coming out had enhanced his work with these groups:
“I feel like being able to speak with a more authentic voice now gives me a stronger sense of purpose, and it’s a big part of the reason why I made the decision to stand up and come out, to be able to make any kind of positive change in the world. The LGBT community means a great deal to me, and an even greater deal to me now.”
After coming out, Quinto wrote on his blog that the suicide of gay 14-year-old Jamey Rodemeyer had spurred him to be open.
